Embattled Mourinho stays positive at Chelsea

CHELSEA manager Jose Mourinho is under the greatest pressure he has faced in his coaching career and it will get no easier tonight when the Blues face Liverpool at Stamford Bridge.

The cracks have been showing as Chelsea's poor start to the season has lingered on, the defeat to Stoke City in the League Cup in midweek the latest in a string of bad results.

But even with last year's champion languishing in 15th in the English Premier League, the self-anointed "special one" is sure things will start to turn around.

Chelsea has won one of its last seven matches in all competitions but Mourinho feels his team can take heart from its performance at the Britannia Stadium after going out of the Cup which it won last season on penalties.

"It's difficult but it's more difficult when you play very badly and lose, than playing well and losing," Mourinho said. "They go home with sadness but with a positive feeling.

"How can (Eden) Hazard, or Oscar, or (John-Obi) Mikel, or John Terry, to say some names - I could say everyone - how can they go home with a lack of confidence? They played well, they didn't make many mistakes. They participated in the game a lot."

Liverpool has not lost under new boss Jurgen Klopp, with the League Cup win over Bournemouth, adding to three EPL draws.

Christian Benteke missed the Bournemouth tie with a knee problem, but Klopp expects the Belgian - who came off the bench to score the opener in Liverpool's 1-1 draw with Southampton last week to be fit.